BioVars - bioclimatic datasets for Europe based on a large regional climate ensemble for periods between 1971 to 2098

We present 26 bio-climatic variables that are calculated based on a large ensemble consisting of 70 bias-adjusted GCM-RCM (Global Climate Model – Regional Climate Model) simulations for 1971 to 2098. Both, the historic and the projection periods were calculated using the same models to ensure consistency between the periods. The variables are validated against E-OBS observations from which we calculated the same bio-climatic variables. For projection periods we chose 20 year ranges between 2021 to 2098. Here, we offer two versions of them 1) variables separated into RCP 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 including the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles among the realisations and within the RCPS. And 2) variables per realisation separately. We then extracted the temporal 5th, 50th and 95th percentile per period as representing values. Each zipped file contains these 26 bio-climatic variables according to their aggregation. The variables and the units are explained within the data descriptor publication. 

File descriptions

• bioVars_1971-2000_met.tar.gz >> Projections per realisations for period 1971-2000
• bioVars_2021-2040_met.tar.gz >> Projections per realisations for period 2021-2040
• bioVars_2041-2060_met.tar.gz >> Projections per realisations for period 2041-2060
• bioVars_2061-2080_met.tar.gz >> Projections per realisations for period 2061-2080
• bioVars_2079-2098_met.tar.gz >> Projections per realisations for period 2079-2098
• bioVars_2021-2040_rcp.tar.gz >> Projections per RCP for period 2021-2040
• bioVars_2041-2060_rcp.tar.gz >> Projections per RCP for period 2041-2060
• bioVars_2061-2080_rcp.tar.gz >> Projections per RCP for period 2061-2080
• bioVars_2079-2098_rcp.tar.gz >> Projections per RCP for period 2079-2098
• validation.tar.gz >> Validation using E-OBS (v20.0) and Worldclim (version 2.1)

References
Reichmuth, A., Rakovec, O., Boeing, F. et al. BioVars - A bioclimatic dataset for Europe based on a large regional climate ensemble for periods in 1971–2098. Sci Data 12, 217 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04507-w